Dodgers beat Nationals, 3-2, on James Loney’s walkoff hit

LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Loney singled home the winning run with one out in the 10th inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 on Saturday night.

Sean Burnett (0-6) came on in the 10th and gave up a leadoff walk to pinch-hitter Ronnie Belliard, who took third on Scott Podsednik’s single to right-center. The Nationals then went to a five-man infield, pulling Michael Morse in from right field, and Morse held Belliard on a chopper over the mound by Ryan Theriot.

Andre Ethier was intentionally walked to set up a possible double play and Morse returned to his normal position, but Loney lined a 1-0 pitch down the right field line to end it. Jonathan Broxton (4-3) earned the victory with his second two-inning stint this season. The Dodgers’ All-Star closer stranded two runners in the top of the 10th by striking out Ryan Zimmerman, who hit a two-run homer in the first inning.

Livan Hernandez allowed two runs — one earned — and five hits over seven innings in his 32nd career start against the Dodgers. The 35-year-old right-hander was tagged for eight earned runs in each of his two starts against Los Angeles last season, both at Washington.

Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, who has only one victory in his last seven starts, allowed two runs and just three hits over seven innings and struck out eight. He retired his final 17 batters before manager Joe Torre lifted him for a pinch-hitter. Reed Johnson batted for Kuroda in the seventh and led off with a double, but was stranded at third when Hernandez struck out Theriot with his 107th and final pitch.

Hernandez retired his first 10 batters before the Dodgers loaded the bases with a single by Theriot, a double by Ethier and a walk to Loney. Matt Kemp, whose three grand slams last season tied a franchise record, nearly had another one. But Morse robbed him with a leaping grab, forcing Kemp to settle for a sacrifice fly.

But the play didn’t end there. Second baseman Adam Kennedy got the one-hop relay from Morse and thought he could double up Loney at first. But the person at the bag that Kennedy thought was Dunn was actually Kemp, who calmly stepped aside in foul territory as Kennedy’s throw went toward the stands and allowed Ethier to score the tying run.

For the second straight night, the Nationals opened the scoring with a home run in the first inning. This time, it was a two-run shot by Zimmerman after a leadoff walk to Bernadina.

NOTES: Kuroda was the third pitcher in the Dodgers’ last five games to retire 14 or more consecutive batters. Ted Lilly set down his final 20 during a seven-inning outing last Tuesday against San Diego in his Dodgers debut, and Vicente Padilla retired 14 straight Padres the following night en route to a two-hit shutout. … Nationals RHP J.D. Martin is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery on Tuesday in Los Angeles to repair a bulging disc in his lower back. … Hernandez has not allowed a home run in 55 1-3 innings since giving up a solo shot to Baltimore’s Adam Jones on June 26 at Camden Yards. The last time an NL batter took him over the fence was May 19, when the Mets’ Angel Pagan took him deep with the bases empty at Washington.